Holland
December 4 - 8, 2005		 Other Albums
 

We took advantage of the long weekend in Spain to visit our friends Karen and Joost in Holland. We celebrated Sinterklaas, ate a delicious rijsttafel prepared by Karen's parents, and did a little shopping. The evening we arrived, we went out to dinner at Le Cirque in Scheveningen, the city where Karen and Joost live. Le Cirque is connected with an adjacent theater, and between the early dinners of the theater patrons and our typically late Spanish dinner schedule, we had the place nearly to ourselves. Joost looks on skeptically as Karen talks over dinner. Joost clearly can't contain his skepticism any longer.
Sommelier Amy poses with a glass of white wine. The next morning we awoke to grey and rainy skies (we are talking about December in Holland, after all). Despite being perfect weather to stay in bed with a book, we set out for a walk. On our way to the beach we passed what can only be described as a homemade car. It came equipped with leather seats, a convertible top, two-tone finish, and a passenger door held on with green twine (which Amy helpfully points out). Despite the tantalizing hint of blue sky in the corner of this shot, it was a cold and blustery day along the North Sea. Jordi looks out over the beach, umbrella in hand.
Low skies over the North Sea. Not surprisingly, there weren't many people out on the beach that day. However, there was one couple frolicking in the surf, heavy winter coats and all. Amy braces against a sudden gust of wind and rain; this was about the time that going for a warm breakfast started to sound like an excellent idea. As we boarded the bus from Scheveningen to The Hague, we saw this sign on the bus's dashboard. No one was quite sure what it was warning of, but it sounds vaguely like a cool battle robot from Japanese mecha. The leaves had changed colors in Holland, and even under cloudy skies the red, orange and yellow were striking.
Geese line up for a shot straight out of one of those (de-)motivational business posters. Joost and Karen's mom Marij relax in the living room before the Sinterklaas festivities begin. Karen's mom and dad had been cooking for nearly two weeks to prepare. Karen joins her mom, dad and Joost as they sing a traditional Dutch Sinterklaas song. Karen's mom and dad prepare to hand out the first of the Sinterklaas gifts. The tradition is that everyone exchanges a gift and a poem with someone, without saying who the giver is. Karen's mom reads her Sinterklaas poem. The poems are generally funny, and are used to gently tease the recipient for things that he or she has done over the past year.
Karen laughs at the contents of her mom's poem, knowing full well that her turn will come soon. Jordi reads his poem, suggesting that he take a little time to relax away from the work in the restaurant. Joost sneaks a bite of a Sinterklaas treat before dinnertime, but is caught in the act. Joost reads his poem before opening his gift. Greg prepares to open his poem, wondering who could have folded it origami-style. Amy feigns innocence...not very successfully here, in retrospect.
A suspicious Karen tries to trick someone into giving away the identity of her gift's giver. Karen's parents enjoy watching the first-timers as they learn the ins and outs of the Sinterklaas traditions. In addition to the exchanged gifts, there were some extra Amy bursts out laughing as she gets to the Piet (Karen's dad) reads his Sinterklaas poem aloud to the group.
Detective Joost in on the case, trying to deduce exactly who sent what to whom. Karen re-reads her poem, looking for clues to the sender's identity. By the end of the night, everyone had figured out who had drawn their names. Joost looks over the Moscow metro map in his Sinterklaas present, a guidebook to Russia and Belarus. Two weeks in the making, the time for the rijsttaffel has arrived. Literally meaning The aftermath of the rijsttaffel. Everything was delicious, and there was surprisingly little left over, considering how many different dishes there were to choose from.
After dinner came the chocolates, dessert wine and coffee. Followed shortly by the need for a serious lie-down. The next day we stopped at a shop in The Hague called Panisse to order some lemon tarts and other goodies for the following day's breakfast, and to buy some jam and other treats. We also stopped in the M.C. Escher museum in The Hague. Escher was famous for mathematically-impossible drawings and etchings, and there was even a 3D virtual reality tour of some of his works. A nighttime view of the Dutch parliament in The Hague. Being farther north than much of Europe, in December the sun sets around 4:30pm. Another nighttime view of the Dutch parliament, with the moon and clear sky in the background.
Amy, Jordi and Karen pose in front of the parliament buildings. Nighttime reflections in the water in front of the Dutch parliament buildings. Truth in advertising is a good thing, but after a certain point it's probably bad for business. On our last night, we went to another restaurant in Scheveningen. Despite what you might think from the presence of a disco ball, it was a very nice meal. When Joost went outside to take a photo, the waiter appeared within seconds with an umbrella. This is full service.
Breakfast on our last morning: Karen woke up before us and went to pick up the pastries we had ordered the day before. This is also full service. Mmm, lemon tarts. The Dutch certainly know their desserts and pastries, and these are from the pastisserie that supplies Calla's, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Hague. Lekker! The bicycle is a popular mode of transport in Holland, as you can tell by this parking area in Amsterdam. The Dutch have also perfected the art of riding while holding umbrellas, talking on mobile phones or holding hands. Another type of transportation that's much more common in Holland (and the rest of Europe) than in North America is the tiny car. This car has just enough room for a driver and one other moderately-sized person. Just before heading to the airport, we got a final taste of Dutch weather, with a simultaneous burst of rain and sunshine. Just one more way that a trip to Holland is never boring.
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Ireland
 August 18-26, 2005
Paris, France
 January 12-18, 2005
Musée Louvre
 January 12, 2005
 

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